A memorandum commonly abbreviated as a ‘memo’ (meaning "reminder" in literal terms) is a written message drafted in a slang-free formal writing tone and generally used at a business office. It is used by an organization for the communication of procedures, policies, or related business information.
Typically, a memo is written to broadcast a message to a broader audience. It is generally used to inform a particular group within a company of an event, decision, action, or policy.
How to draft an Effective Memo?
Listed below are the five key ingredients of writing a memo, adequate and complete in all aspects:- Audience Positioning: It is essential to identify and consider your intended audience's needs. Simultaneously, the memo must be in a generalized tone, equally applicable to the range of audience. It must state the purpose vividly in exact words without an element of ambiguity or distortion.
- Professional Tone: A memo speaks on behalf of a company or organization. It should therefore be composed of a formal tone.
- Subject Preciseness: Since the subject of a memo is at the beginning of the document, it must be written in a precise way with an emphasis on important details. For instance, if the memo is written to announce a particular holiday, the name of the holiday should be properly mentioned in the subject-line such as “Christmas Holiday.”
